Frozen_Junior_Novel_-_Disney_Book_Group

“Slow down,” he said.
The servants smiled, realizing that

Anna and Hans needed to be alone.
“We’ll give you two some privacy,”
said one, backing away. Everyone in
the room followed him out.

Once they were alone, Hans
turned to Anna. “What happened out
there?” he asked.

“Elsa struck me with her powers,”
she said softly.

“You said she’d never hurt you.”
Anna lowered her eyes. “I was
wrong,” she said. “She froze my heart,
and only an act of true love can save

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me.”
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Anna’s body felt even colder than

when she was out in the storm. But it
was a relief to tell Hans everything, to
know that he could help her.

After hearing the whole tale, Hans
looked at her with a tender smile. “A
true love’s kiss,” he said pensively. He
leaned in close, ready to kiss her. Anna
lifted her chin and closed her eyes in

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anticipation. Then he stopped.
“Oh, Anna,” he said. “If only

somebody loved you.”
“What?” Anna said in shock.
Hans rose to his feet and walked

away. He stood in front of the window,
looking out over the kingdom. “As
thirteenth in line in my own kingdom, I
didn’t stand a chance,” he told her. “I
knew I’d have to marry into the throne
somewhere.”

Anna could barely lift her head.
“What? What are you talking about?”
she asked.

“As heir, Elsa was preferable, of

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course,” Hans continued. “But no one
was getting anywhere with her. But
you…” He trailed off with a small
smile.

“Hans?” Anna said, growing
concerned.

“Like your sister said,” he told
her. “You were so desperate for love,
you were willing to marry me just like
that.” He walked over to a table and
grabbed a pitcher of water. Then he
moved closer to the fire. “I figured
after we married, I’d have to stage a
little accident for Elsa.” He poured the
water on the fire, putting it out.

Anna reached out to stop him, but

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she was too weak and once again fell
to the floor. “Hans, no, stop!” she
cried.

Ignoring her plea, Hans took the
fire poker and smothered the remaining
embers. A cold draft filled the room.
“But then she doomed herself, and you
were dumb enough to go after her,” he
snickered.

“Please,” Anna begged.

Hans laughed. “All that’s left now
is to kill Elsa and bring back summer.”

A sense of despair engulfed Anna
as she realized the depth of Hans’s
cruelty. “You’re no match for Elsa,”
she said bravely.

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Hans looked down at Anna. “No,
you’re no match for Elsa,” he told her.
“I, on the other hand, am the hero who
is going to save Arendelle from
destruction.” He strode to the door.

“You won’t get away with this,”
Anna said fiercely.

“Oh, I already have,” Hans said
with a nasty grin. He walked out,
locking the door tight.

Anna tried to get up from the
floor, but she was too weak. She could
feel the cold taking the last of her
strength.

“Please, somebody,” she called
out hoarsely. “Help!” She looked

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around the dark room and knew she
was totally alone. “Please, please,” she
whispered.

And then she collapsed.

Hans left Anna and went to the council
chamber where the Duke and other
dignitaries were gathered.

“It’s getting colder by the minute,”
the Duke said. “Forget starving; we’ll
soon freeze to death.”

Hans fell into a chair, looking
weak and grief-stricken.

“Prince Hans!” a dignitary said,

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reaching out to him gently.
Hans lowered his head and

chuckled to himself. He had sat down
on the throne. His plan was moving
along perfectly. Pretending to be full of
remorse, Hans said, “Princess Anna
is…dead.”

“What?” the other men exclaimed.
“How could this happen?” one of
the dignitaries asked.
Hans shook his head slowly. “She
was killed by Queen Elsa.”
“No!” the Duke shouted.
With his head in his hands, Hans
played the part of a grieving man. “We

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said our wedding vows…before she
died in my arms.”

“There can be no doubt now,” the
Duke declared. “Queen Elsa is a
monster!”

“Prince Hans,” stated one of the
dignitaries. “Arendelle looks to you.”

Hans nodded grimly, but he was
secretly elated. Never in his wildest
dreams could he have plotted his ascent
to the throne so gloriously. “With a
heavy heart, I charge Queen Elsa with
treason and sentence her to death,” he
declared.

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In her dungeon cell, Elsa stood by the
window. The snow was cascading
down heavily. She wondered where
Anna was at that moment. Anna would
never be able to survive this storm.

Maybe I am a monster, she
thought. Hans’s words haunted her. Her
powers had done nothing but cause
great trouble for the kingdom.

Elsa knew that she had to leave
Arendelle so she wouldn’t do any more
harm. As her eyes welled up with tears,
she looked down at her shackles. They
were completely frozen, and suddenly,
they broke open. Then, with a

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thunderous crash, ice broke through the
dungeon walls, splitting them apart as
Elsa’s emotions overwhelmed her mind
and heart. Realizing she could escape,
Elsa hurried through the gaping hole in
the wall.

Hans heard the noise and ran
down to the dungeon. The Duke and his
guards were already there.

“What happened?” Hans asked.
“The queen has escaped,” the
Duke replied, gazing through the
opening in the wall.

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The howling winds pushed against

Kristoff as he headed back up the
mountain, away from Arendelle. He
adjusted his goggles and wrapped his
scarf tightly around his face.

Sven was lagging behind. The
reindeer looked longingly back at
Arendelle and the castle. He shook his

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head and whinnied. Kristoff kept
walking, ignoring him. Sven charged
ahead, passed Kristoff, and then
stopped in front of him. He faced him
and looked Kristoff directly in the eye.

“What is it, buddy?” Kristoff
asked.

The reindeer nudged his antlers
into Kristoff’s side.

“Hey, watch it,” Kristoff said,
annoyed. “What’s wrong with you?”

Sven shook his head and wiggled
his mouth.

“I don’t understand you when you
talk that way,” Kristoff told him. In a

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flash, Sven bucked Kristoff and lifted
him up with his antlers. “Hey! Stop it!”
Kristoff shouted. “Put me down.”

Sven dropped him straight into the
snow, hard.

“No, Sven,” Kristoff said. “We’re
not going back.”

Sven snorted his disapproval.

“She’s with her true love.”
Kristoff saw Sven’s doubt. He glanced
back at the kingdom to make his point.
But to his surprise, he saw a strange
new storm swirling above the castle.
He could see dark clouds forming, and
more ice on the castle walls, putting it
into an even deeper freeze. “Anna!” he

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cried.
Instantly, Kristoff changed his

course and took off running toward
Arendelle. Sven scrambled and raced
up behind him. He ducked his head and
lifted Kristoff with his antlers, then
threw him onto his back. The duo raced
down the hillside.

Anna was curled up on the floor of the
library. She had made it to the door but
was now too weak to stand. No one
could hear her whispered cries for
help. She was so cold—and her heart

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ached.

At that moment, the door handle
jiggled. Anna was barely able to raise
her head to see who it was. The lock
clicked. Anna could see a carrot
wedged into the keyhole.…

Suddenly, the door flew open. It
was Olaf! The snowman pulled his
carrot nose out of the lock and put it
back into the middle of his face. He
was very proud of himself, but his
happiness melted the moment he saw
Anna.

“Anna, no!” he called. He ran to
the fireplace and struck a match. In
seconds there was a large, roaring fire.

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“Olaf,” Anna said. “Get away
from there!”

“Whoa!” Olaf exclaimed, taking in
the sight and feel of the fire. He was a
little scared, but he couldn’t resist the
warmth coming from the fireplace. “So
that’s heat,” he said. “I gotta say, I still
like it!” He hurried over to Anna and
brought her closer to the fire. “So,
where’s Hans? What happened to your
kiss?”

“I was wrong about him,” Anna
said. “It wasn’t true love.”

Olaf didn’t want to believe it.
“But we rode all the way here,” he
said.

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“Please, Olaf,” Anna managed to
say. “You can’t stay here. You’ll melt.”

“I’m not leaving until we find
some other act of true love to save
you,” Olaf said. He sat down next to
Anna. “Got any ideas?”

Anna sighed heavily. “I don’t even
know what love is anymore.”

“That’s okay,” Olaf said. “I do.”
He sat up a little taller. “Love is putting
someone else’s needs before yours—
like, you know how Kristoff brought
you back here to Hans and left you
forever?”

“Kristoff loves me?” Anna asked.
Her eyes widened.

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Olaf nodded. “You really don’t
know anything about love, do you?”

Anna looked at Olaf. He was
dripping from head to toe! “Olaf,
you’re melting!” she cried.

“Some people are worth melting
for,” he said. His face was quickly
losing its shape. Olaf tried to push up
his sagging head. He ran and sat behind
Anna, trying to escape the fire’s heat.
“Just maybe not right this second.”

A window across the room blew
open and a cold gust of wind swept
through. Anna shuddered. Olaf ran to
the window to shut it. “Don’t worry,”
he said. “I’ve got it. We’re gonna get

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through…” He stopped talking and
stared out the window. He leaned
forward and squinted at the horizon.
“Hang on, just one second. I’m getting
something!”

He reached through the open
window and grabbed an icicle off the
window ledge. He flipped the icicle
around and used it as a telescope.
“Hey, Kristoff and Sven!” he shouted
when he realized who was running
toward the castle. He turned to Anna
excitedly. “They’re coming back this
way!”

“They are?” Anna asked. She tried
to stand up to see for herself.

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“Wow, he’s moving really fast!”
Olaf said. “Huh, I guess I was wrong. I
guess Kristoff doesn’t love you enough
to leave you behind.”

“Help me up,” Anna said,
struggling. “Please.”

“No,” Olaf told her. “You need to
stay by the fire and keep warm.”

Anna was adamant. “I need to get
to Kristoff.”

“Why?” Olaf asked. Then he
paused. “Oh, I know why! There’s your
act of true love right there, riding
across the fjords like a valiant, pungent
reindeer king!” He reached for Anna.
“Come on!”

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Sheets of ice began to break
through the library walls. The cracks
grew across the walls, and the room
began to collapse. Anna and Olaf
hurried out of the library just in time.
Together, they struggled to make it
through the hallway, dodging ice as it
appeared in their path.

“Back this way,” Olaf said,
pulling Anna. But every path they tried
was blocked by ice! “We’re trapped!”
he shouted.

Anna spun around and spotted a
way out. She took Olaf’s hand and they
made their way over to a window,
broke the glass, and slid down an icy

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ramp. Olaf picked up more snow as he
went. They landed safely outside the
castle and took off toward Kristoff.

224

The winds were picking up as the

storm raged throughout Arendelle. The
snow continued to fall, and the air was
frigid. The ice blocks in the fjord were
beginning to shift, which made walking
on the frozen surface dangerous.

The snow hit Anna’s face hard,
blinding her, but she and Olaf

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continued. She held her hand up to
shield her eyes when she reached the
shore. It broke her heart to see the fjord
waters frozen into solid blocks and the
ships turned on their sides.

“Kristoff!” she called out weakly.
She couldn’t see him, but she knew he
was coming over the fjord—and she
knew he was her last chance for
survival. The ice was still spreading
through her heart, making her weaker
and weaker. She was determined, but
was losing strength with each step.

The snow was swirling wildly
now, covering everything. “Whoa!”
Olaf cried as the wind lifted him up

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and took him from Anna.

Not far away, but completely
engulfed in the snowstorm, Kristoff
was riding on Sven’s back, racing
desperately toward Anna. As he passed
over the fjord, a ship that was wedged
in the thick ice in front of him began to
shift and wobble. “Come on! Come
on!” Kristoff urged Sven.

At that moment, the ice in front of
Kristoff shifted again and caused the
ship to drop, splintering the surface.
Sven bravely jumped over the frigid
waters and bucked his rider off to
safety. Then the reindeer fell into the
water.

227

“Sven!” Kristoff screamed.
“Sven!”

With a mighty effort, Sven leaped
out of the water and landed safely on a
floating piece of ice. He nodded,
signaling that he was all right.

“Good boy,” Kristoff called. He
turned back to find Anna.

Hans was also out on the frozen fjord,
struggling through the storm. He was
pursuing Elsa, however—and he nearly
had her. “Elsa!” he yelled loudly
through the howling winds. “You can’t

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run from this!”
“Don’t try to stop me,” Elsa

called back to him. “Just take care of
my sister.”

“Your sister?” Hans laughed.
“She returned from the mountain weak
and cold. She said you froze her heart.”

Elsa gasped. “No!” She was
overwhelmed by what her powers had
done. Her worst fears had come true.

“I tried to save her,” Hans lied.
“But it was too late. Her skin was ice.
Her hair turned white. Your sister is
dead because of you.”

Elsa dropped to her knees and put

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her head in her hands.

The storm stopped abruptly in
response to Elsa’s overwhelming
despair. The winds and the driving
snow ceased, leaving snowflakes
suspended in the air.

In the sudden stillness, Kristoff
finally spotted Anna. She was clutching
her chest and her skin was pale, almost
white. Her strength was decreasing
with each passing moment.

Barely able to speak, she uttered
his name and fell to her knees.
“Kristoff.”

“Anna! Anna!” Kristoff called
desperately as he ran toward her.

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In the quiet air, the people of
Arendelle gathered at the shore, staring
out at the frozen fjord. The view was
finally clear, and they could see their
queen kneeling on the ice, her head
bowed. Prince Hans stood just behind
her.

231

Though Anna could barely move, she

lifted her head to see Kristoff coming
toward her. But nearby, in the other
direction, she suddenly caught sight of
something else—something she could
hardly believe. Was that her sister?
Could Elsa also be out on the ice?
Anna tried to focus.

232

Then she realized that Hans was
standing over Elsa, who knelt on the
ice, her face buried in her hands.
Horrified, Anna watched as Hans drew
his sword and raised it over her
sister’s head. He was taking his time,
almost smiling with anticipation.

Anna knew that kissing Kristoff
was her last hope for survival, but she
couldn’t bear to see Elsa in danger.
With great difficulty, she turned away
from Kristoff and moved toward her
sister.

“Elsa!” she cried. With a final
surge of energy, Anna lunged, using
every remaining ounce of her strength.

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She threw herself in front of Elsa to
block Hans’s blow. “NO!” she shouted.

In that instant, Anna’s entire body
froze, turning into solid ice. Hans’s
sword came down at full strength on
her body. The sword shattered! Hans
reacted in angry astonishment as jagged
pieces of steel fell into the snow.

At the sound of the sword, Elsa
turned…and saw Anna’s frozen body,
one arm raised to shield her sister.

“Anna!” Elsa cried. She jumped
up and threw her arms around her
unseeing sister. “Oh, Anna,” she said,
weeping. “No, please, no!” Elsa
sobbed, hugging the frozen figure.

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Behind her, Hans was fuming. He
quickly picked up his broken sword
and started to swing it at Elsa, but
Kristoff ran at him just in time. He hit
Hans right on the jaw and knocked him
down. There would be no second
blows for Hans.

Olaf ventured forward, looking up
at the sisters. He was shocked to see
Anna so still, without movement or life.
“Anna?” he asked sadly. He stepped
back as Elsa hugged her sister and
cried.

Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf all
bowed their heads. So did the
dignitaries and citizens of Arendelle,

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watching from the shore. A somber
silence fell over the kingdom.

Suddenly, as Elsa hugged her
sister, drops of water began to form at
the tips of Anna’s fingers. Then her arm
began to bend. Anna was beginning to
thaw!

“Anna!” Elsa exclaimed.
“Elsa…,” Anna murmured. She
opened her eyes and smiled lovingly at
her sister. Elsa laughed with joy.
“You sacrificed yourself for me?”
Elsa asked in wonder.
Still weak, Anna replied simply,
“I love you.”

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Olaf gasped. “An act of true love
will thaw a frozen heart,” he said.
Anna’s sacrifice had saved her own
life!

Elsa found herself turning Olaf’s
words over in her mind as she slowly
realized their full meaning. “Love will
thaw.… Love. Of course!” she said.
She hugged Anna again and laughed.

“Of course what?” Olaf asked.
Elsa took a step back and raised her
hands above her head, and the snow
drifted back up to the sky! Next, the
ground began to shake and move. The
ice and snow began to melt. The fjord
waters thawed and a boat rose, lifting

237

Elsa and the others onto its deck. Soon
all the boats in the fjord were returned
to their upright positions. Elsa waved
her arms one more time and revealed a
sunny sky! The warmth of a summer’s
day spread across the kingdom in one
joyous moment.

All of Arendelle cheered!

“Hands down, this is the best day
of my life!” Olaf exclaimed. But the
snowman was again starting to melt.
“And,” he added, “quite possibly the
last.”

Elsa looked over at the dripping,
sagging snowman. “Oh, Olaf,” she said
kindly. “Hang on, little guy.” She

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waved a hand over Olaf and
surrounded him with a swirl of cold
air. Olaf quickly refroze and looked
like himself again. Best of all, he now
had a permanent little snow cloud
above his head, to keep him from
melting ever again.

“Ha!” he exclaimed. “How are we
doing this?”

Hans climbed to his feet, still
dazed from Kristoff’s punch, and turned
to Anna. “B-but she froze your heart,”
he stammered. He thought Anna had
frozen to death back in the library.

“The only frozen heart around
here is yours,” Anna replied fiercely.

239

Then, with all her might, she punched
him in the face. Hans fell backward
into the water.

Anna grinned. She was feeling
warmer already. She caught sight of
Kristoff and grinned. Then she hugged
Elsa again. The sisters held each other
tight. Neither one wanted to let go.

240

Summer returned to Arendelle, and

the waters in the fjord were full of
boats moving cargo and people. Hans
sat locked in a cage on the deck of a
ship preparing to return to the Southern
Isles.

“I’ll return this scoundrel to his
country,” a dignitary told the royal

241

handler. “We shall see what his twelve
brothers think of his behavior!”

Nearby, Arendelle soldiers were
leading the Duke and his two guards to
their ship.

“This is unacceptable,” the Duke
protested. “I am innocent! I’m a victim
of fear. I demand to see the queen!”

“Oh, right,” the royal handler told
him. “I have a message from the queen:
‘Arendelle will henceforth and forever
no longer do business of any sort with
Weaseltown.’”

“Weselton!” shouted the Duke.
“It’s Weselton!”

242

In the village, Anna hurried
through the streets, pulling a
blindfolded Kristoff behind her. “Come
on, come on,” she called to him.

Anna led Kristoff straight into
people and almost slammed him into a
pole. “You’re not a very good
blindfold guide,” he told her. Finally,
they stopped.

“Here we are!” Anna said. She
pulled off Kristoff’s blindfold. Before
them sat a beautiful new sled. “I owe
you a sled!”

Kristoff was taken aback. “Are
you serious?” he said. “No. I can’t
accept this.”

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Anna laughed. “You have to. No
returns. Queen’s orders. She’s named
you the official Arendelle ice master
and deliverer.”

“That’s not a thing,” said Kristoff
with a smile.

“Sure it is!” Anna said. “And it
even has a cup holder. Do you like it?”

Kristoff hugged Anna. “Like it?”
he asked. “I love it. I could kiss you!”
Kristoff looked into Anna’s eyes and
suddenly felt bashful. “I mean, I’d like
to. May I? I mean, may we? Wait—
what?”

Anna leaned over and gave
Kristoff a quick kiss. “We may,” she

244

said.

Kristoff smiled. Then he leaned in
and kissed Anna right back. But this
time it was a real kiss, sweet and
romantic, and perfect for Anna.

Not far away, Olaf was happily
enjoying the summer weather with the
help of his little snow cloud. He held a
big bouquet of flowers up to his nose
and took a deep sniff. Suddenly, he
sneezed—and his carrot nose shot off
his face!

Sven was standing nearby, and
with a quick movement of his head, the
reindeer reached out and caught the
carrot in his mouth. For a moment, it

245

looked like Sven might chomp down on
his favorite food. But instead, he gave
the carrot back to Olaf, who happily
popped the carrot back onto his face.

Just past Olaf, Anna saw
something else that brought a smile to
her face. The gates to the castle were
wide open. Elsa stood in the courtyard.
All around her, people were putting on
ice skates. And the parts of the castle
that had been destroyed earlier were
now fully repaired—with ice!

“Are you ready?” Elsa was asking
the crowd. She raised her arms,
swirled them in the air, and created a
beautiful ice rink!

246

Anna ran to her sister. “The gates
are open,” she said. “I like it.”

Elsa put an arm around Anna.
“Let’s never close them again.” Then,
with a smile, she pulled Anna onto the
ice so the two could skate around the
rink, together at last.

Behind them, Sven ventured out
onto the ice, too. But his skating didn’t
come so easily. His legs slipped and
twisted as he struggled to keep his
balance. Anxious for his friend,
Kristoff chased after Sven, awkwardly
trying to keep him upright.

Last came Olaf, who slid over to
Anna and Elsa. Together, they all

247

skated happily across the ice. Summer
—as well as love and happiness—had
finally returned to Arendelle.

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